Check-canceling machine.



P. E. EEES & F. C. SCHMIDT.

CHECK CANCELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. I9I4.

Llg, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A (1H/VE Y P. E. EEES a. F. c. SCHMIDT.

CHECK CANCELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1914.

l, 169,352. Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' FEED @TATE ATENT FFllQE.

PERLEY E. RCEES AND FREDERICK C. SCHMIDT, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CHECK-CANCELING MACH-INE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed aan. as, raie'.

Application med lseptember s, 1914.. l serial No. 860,526.

To 11M 11i/mm t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Planner' E, Raus and l `1u 1nnnic1 C. Scuano'r, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Mssourl, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Canceling Machlnes, of which the following is a speciicatlon.

This invention relates to check canceling machines, and has for its objects to produce a machine of this character by which checks can be rapidly and legibly marked in such a manner that the marked portion of the check cannot be altered; by which the marked portion of the check is colored and shredded simultaneously; and by whlch the checks can be received in packages and fed one at a-time through the marking and coloring elements of the machine.

I Another object is to produce a check canceling machine of simple, compact, strong, durable and inexpensive construction.

Another object is to produce a canceling Vmachine embodying means for easily andquickly clamping dating type in pclsition.

With these objects in view, the inventlon consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a check canceling machine embodying our lnvention, partly broken away. Fig. 2, 1s a top plan view of the machine, broken to Illustrate construction not disclosed by Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a central vertical section on the line III- III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a vertical transverse section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a detail perspective View of one of the dating type.

In the said drawings, 1 is a skeleton frame mounted upon cushion feet 2, for sounddeadening and anti-scratching purposes. Arranged longitudinally in the frame 1s a horizontal feed conveyer, comprising an endless belt 3, preferably roughened on lts outer side to provide a good gripping surface on the checks to be fed through the machine,-mounted upon a front roll 4 and a rear roll 5. The front roll is secured upon a transverse shaft 6 journaled in the sides of the frame, and externally of the latter is provided at one end with a crank handle 7 1f the machine is to be operated manually. The rear roll 5 is secured upon a similar shaft 8 mounted in slots 9 in the sides of the frame, said slots coperating with a part hereinafter mentioned in forming a journal for shaft 8.

Underlying roll 5 is a transverse tie rod 10 extending from one side of the frame to the other and secured on said rod is a belt guide, consisting of a sleeve 1.1 Aand a pair of arms 12 which project upwardly beyond and adjacent the opposite sides of the lower run of the belt 3. The tie rod' 10 is preferably secured in position by screw bolts 13 extending through the frame into the ends of the rod, and pivoted on said rod between the sides of the frame outward of the guide arms 1,2, are bell crank levers 14, the upwardly projecting arms thereof, having recesses 15 engaging the ends of shaft 8 and constituting the other portions of the bearings of said sha-ft hereinbefore referred to. Retractile springs 16 connect the other arms of the bell crank levers with a cross rod 17 extending between the sides of the frame and the runs of the belt, screws 18 extending through the sides of the frame into the ends of the rod 17 to hold the same in position.

19 is a gear wheel secured on shaft 6 and meshing with a similar gear Wheel 20 secured on shaft 21 extending transversely of and journaled in the sides of the frame, and arranged within the frame and adjacent the sides thereof upon shaft 21 is a pair of -hollow feed rolls 22 which are preferably 'secured on the shaft by pins 23, the rolls having openings 24 in radial alinement with the pins to enable the latter to be secured in position. A similar pin 25 secures a skeleton cylinder 26 upon shaft 21 between the rolls 22, said cylinder having a spoked hub portion 27. At a plurality of points the cylinder is provided with one or more sets of circumferential slots 28 and at its side margins it is also provided with one or more sets of inwardly projecting lugs 29 through which clamping bolts 30 extend parallel with shaft 21, the bolts incidentally extending through the web 27. The bolts are headed and are equipped at their opposite or threaded ends with nuts 31, the heads and nuts being accessible through the spaces provided between the rolls 22 and the cylinder 26 so that wrenches may beV simultaneously engaged with the head and the nut of each bolt for the purpose of applying a clamping pressure on the lugs to compress thel cylinder and thereby narrow the circumferential slots for a purpose which hereinafter appears, the unscrewing operation of the nuts permitting the cylinder to rexpand and restore the slots to normal width.

32 indicates one or more segmental plates fitted upon the exterior surface of the cylinder and each provided with type face 33 adapted to print a suitable inscription such as the word Paid upon each check, the type being sharply corrugated circumferentially of the cylinder and adapted in conjunction with afcompression cylinder hereinafter mentioned, to substantially shred the check without destroying the'outline of the impression produced thereon. Preferably the type plate is secured in position by screw bolts 34. h

35 is a section type plate containing type 36 which are sharply corrugated circumferentially and represent the date upon which the machine is employed, the plate being preferably made in three sections, for the month, day and year respectively, and said plates are fitted upon the cylinder in proper transverse alinement against one edge of the plate 32, and each section 35 isv provided with an inwardly-projecting rib 37 fitting in one of the slots 28 of the cylinder, so that when the latter is compressed, as hereinbefore explained, the ribs 37 are clamped firmly in position. When desired, nut 31 is unscrewed slightly to permit the compressed cylinder to rexpand to permit the desired dating plate or plates to be replaced by others of a dierent date.

Vertically below the axis of rolls 22 and cylinder 26, is a transverse shaft 38, journaled vertically movable in slots 38a in the sides of the frame, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, and secured upon said shaft is a sleeve, comprising a central circumferentially corrugated cylinder 39, adapted for intermeshing with the corrugated surface of the type plates in the revolution of the cylinder 26, for the purpose of shredding the check as hereinbefore mentioned, as it passes between said cylinders.

Integrally formed with cylinder 39, are small cylindrical portions 40, provided with rubber treads 41 adapted for frictionally engaging cylinders 22 for the purpose of feeding the checks forwardly through the machine when the corrugated cylinder and corrugated plates are not in engagement with the imprinting plates, as during such engagement said cylinder 39 and said plates, will properly `feed the checks, it being noted in this connection that the meeting surfaces of the rolls 22 and treads 41, and the cylinder 39 and the corrugated portions of the plates, lie in the same horizontal plane as the corrugated or rougheued surface of the upper arm of the belt 3.

42 is a cross rod mounted in the frame, and pivotally suspended therefrom are links 43 pivotally connected to the front ends of lift bars 44, provided with notches 45 in their upper edges forming the lower halves of the journals of shaft 38, the rear ends of said lift bars being connected by retractile springs lo to studs 47 projecting outward from the frame, the'function of these spring actuated lift bars being to hold the cylinder 39 or the cylindrical treads -ll in engagement respectively, with the type plates or the rollers 22, and in this connection it is desirable to state that the chief yreason for slightly spacing the rolls 22 and the treads 41 apart when a check is between and engaged by a.

type plate and roller 39, is to enable the full power of the springs 46 to be applied on the paper to tear rather than cut the same, in the plane of the corrugations. It will be apparent that this action is a tearing action as distinguished from a cutting action because the width of the paper between the opposite ends of the cylinder when the measurement follows the corrugation thereof. For this reason the paper is stretched until torn in the planes of the corrugations as stated, it being preferable to stretch and tear the paperand thereby render impossible its restoration to normal condition. When once stretched and cut or torn it cannot be pressed back so firmly that it couldpass casual inspection.

-l8 is a pair of transversely alined headed pins fitted in the upper notched ends of arms of the frame, and secured on the inner ends of said arms are the sleeve ends 50 of a radially perforated cylindrical inking fountain 51 provided with a felt or equivalent tread surface or pad 52, which will absorb ink and apply it to the underlying inking roller journaled in the frame, the body portion 53 of the roller being preferably of metal and its tread surface 54 of felt or its equivalent. The inking roller is so disposed that it applies ink to the printing surface of plates 32 and 35 in each rotation of cylinder 2G, said cylinder turning in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 3, so as to apply the ink at the same time they shred a check as hereinbefore explained, the tearing of the check occurring incidentally with the lines where the ink is applied upon the check so that the torn edges of the check shall be inked as well as the surface thereof and hence make it more difficult to restore the check to normal condition.

55 are screws extending through each side of the frame vertically above shaft 8 for the support of a transverse rod 56. Each check table comprises the sides 57 and bottom 58, the sides being provided at their meeste inner ends with downturned hooks 57a to fit over the rod 56 and the inner edges of said sides bearing against stop studs 57b projecting inward from the side ofl the frame. A package of checks E is adapted to be placed upon the bottom of the feed table and to hold them down thereon with a uniform pressure, we employ a U-shaped weight, the same being in the form of a bent rod 59 with its arms disposed near the sides of the table and its bridge or transverse portion disposed slightly in advance of the front edge of the bottom of the table so as to press the front end of the package of checks down upon the belt 3, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The long arm of the U-shaped weight is provided at its rear end with a knob or handle 60, and extends loosely through a guide bracket 61 secured to the bottom of the table, and a vertically slotted guide bracket. 62 secured to the adjacent side of the table, the arrangement being such that the weight may be drawn back a short distance and then pivotally operated to raise its inner end sufliciently to enable a package of checks to be readily slipped beneath it, or, after being withdrawn slightly, the weight can be tilted as explained and rotated at the same time so as to swing its inner end to a vertical position wholly at one side of the table to give easy access to checks upon the table.

For engaging the front ends of the checks and resting lightly upon the belt to prevent all of the checks except the undermost one frictionally engaged by the belt, from being carried forward by the latter in the operaticn thereof in the direction indicated by the adjacent arrow, Fig. 3, we provide a check-feed regulator constructed as follows: 63 is a collar secured on rod 56 and pivoted on said rod and fitting against said collar, is a collar 61 carrying a downwardly and forwardly inclined plate 65. Paralleling said plate is a clamp pl-ate 66 secured by screws 67 to said plate and to an interposed plate 68 of rubber or equivalent material, which engages the front end of the package of checks and rests either upon the belt or the undermost check of the package, if such check has been moved forward by the belt beyond the other checks of the pack. Preferably the check-feed regulator is held yieldingly depressed by the spring 68a coiled around shaft 56 and secured thereto and to the collar 61 in any suitable manner.

69 is a plate resting upon the belt or check upon the same, the near end of said plate being an upturned end 69'r1 to insure the passage of the check between it and' the belt. The front end of the plate projects within a short distance of cylinder 39 and treads 4-1 and the overlying cylinder rolls. At its opposite side plate 69 is provided with upturned slotted ears engaging rleducedinner ends of a pair of studs 7]., projecting inwardly from lugs secured to the side of the frame.

72 is a pair of arc-shaped deflecting rods which are secured to rod 42 in the plane of the space between the cylinder 26 and-rolls 22, said rods being arranged to extend downwardly and rearwardly so as to intersect the circumferential plane of cylinder S56 and rolls 22 as shown clearly in Fig. 3, for the purpose of preventing the checks as they emerge from between the imprinting, mechanism, from curling upward around and adhering to the rolls .22 and cylinder 26, as such action will occasionally happen without the use of such deflecting devices,

Assuming that a package of checks placed upon the table under the weight 59 and against the part 68 of the check-feed regulator, it will be seen that the rotation of shaft 6 in the direction of the arrow. Fig. l, Will impart travel to the belt and rotation to the shafts 21 and 3-8 and to the inking roll when the printing plates are in engagement therewith. The travel of the belt results in drawing the undermost check from under the feed regulator and below the plate 69, which coperates with the belt in carrying the check forwardly. As the check is carried between the printing plates and the cylinder 39, it receives the imprint of the inked surface of the printing plates and is at the same time shredded by the cooperative action of said plates and the underlying circumferential corrugated cylinder 39, the feed rolls 22 and treads 4l effecting the feed of the check when between them and while not engage-:l by the said printing plates and the cylinder 39. it being apparent that the checks follow each other through the machine in rapid succession until all of them have passed therethrough and been canceled thereby.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced a check canceling machine embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable. and

we wish it to be understood that while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the same we reserve the right to make all changes falling within the spi rit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a check canceling machine, a driven shaft. a pair of spaced rolls secured thereon, a cylinder secured thereon between said rolls, a printing plate secured on the cylinder, a shaft paralleling the first-named shaft, and provided with cylindrical feed treads for coperation with said feed rolls in feeding a check between said shafts, and a cylinder mounted on the second shaft between said cylindrical tread surfaces for coperation with said printing plate in imprinting and simultaneously feeding a check between shaft, a pair of spaced rolls secured thereon,

a cylinder secured thereon between said rolls, a printing vplate secured on the cylinder, a shaft paralleling the first-named shaft, and provided with cylindrical'feed treads for cooperation with said feed rolls in feeding a check between said shafts, and a cylinder mounted on the second shaft between said cylindrical tread surfaces for cooperation with said printing plate in imprinting and simultaneously feeding a check between said shafts; said cylinder and printing plate coperating when feeding and imprinting` a check in holding said feed rolls and cylindrical tread surfaces apart, and yielding means tending to press said shafts toward each other.

3. A. check canceling machine, comprising a suitable frame, a driven shaft journaled in said frame, a cylinder secured on said shaft, a printing plate secured on the cylinder, and having its printing face circumferentially corrugated, a pair of feed rolls mounted on the shaft at opposite sides of said cylinder, a shaft paralleling and below the first-named shaft, and'adjustable sidewise toward and from the Afirst-named shaft and extending" through and held from forward or rearward movement by the frame, spring-actuated levers forming a lower journal for and tending to press said shaft toward the firstnamed shaft, acircumferentially corrugated cylinder rigidly secured on the said second shaft, `and adapted to engage and coperate with the corrugated printing surface of the first-named cylinder in shredding and feeding a check interposed between them, and rubber treads rotatable with and disposed at opposite sides of the said corrugated cylinder and below the said feeding rollers, and adapted when the said second shaft is raised thro-ugh disengagement between the corrugated cylinder thereon and the printing plate, to engage the marginal portions lof the check and clamp the same against saidv feed rollers, whereby the latter and said treads shall effect' feeding movement of the check when the same is not fed by the corrugated cylinder. and printing plate.

4. A check canceling-machine, comprising a suitable frame, a driven shaft ournaled in said frame, a cylinder secured on said shaft,

a printing plate secured on the cylinder, and -having its printing face circumferentially corrugated, a pair of feed rolls mounted on Jthe shaft at opposite sides of said cylinder, a shaft paralleling and below the first-named shaft, and adjustable sidewise toward and from the first-named shaft and extending through and held from forward or rearward `movement bythe frame, spring-actuated le- Idisengagement between the corrugated cylinder thereon and the printing plate, to engage the marginal portions of the check and clamp the same against said feed rollers, whereby the latter and said treads shall effect feeding movement of the check when the same is not fed by the corrugated cylinder vand printing plate, and an ink-applying roller for applying ink to the printing surface of said printing plate whereby the latter shall ink the check coincidentally with the shredding lines thereof. In testimony whereof, we aiiix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

' IERLEY E. BEES.

FREDERICK C. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

K. M. THORPE, G. Y. THORPE. 

